Many students cook at home to save money, which is a brilliant idea, but it can also use a lot of energy if you’re not careful. If you’re looking to save money, small tweaks in the kitchen can make a difference to your energy bill.
Why Saving Energy in the Kitchen Matters for Students
The kitchen is an area of the home where a large amount of energy is used. From long cooking sessions with the oven to boiling too much water in the kettle, you may use more energy in the kitchen than you think. As well as saving energy, efficient cooking in the kitchen can save you time and protect the environment.
Ways to Save Energy in the Kitchen
1. Only Boil the Water You Need
A kettle uses energy to heat the water that’s inside. Overfilling the kettle means it has to heat more water, which requires more energy. So when you’re making your morning coffee or filling your gravy jug, boil only the amount of water you need.
2. Use the Microwave Instead of the Oven
When using the oven, it needs to be preheated, which means heating up all the air inside. This process can take a while and uses a lot of energy. On the other hand, microwaves heat food directly, resulting in shorter cooking times. While using the oven makes more sense in some cases, leftovers, microwave meals, and small portions are often better heated in the microwave. If you have an air fryer, it can also be more energy-efficient compared to using an oven.
3. Cook Multiple Meals at Once
Instead of cooking one meal, why not batch-cook? You can do this with meals like soup, stew, curries and lasagna. Any extra portions can be stored in the fridge or freezer to eat at a later date. This allows you to do everything in one cooking session rather than reheating appliances throughout the week and using more energy. As well as saving energy, doing this can also save time for busy students with lengthy schedules.
4. Put Lids on Pans When Cooking
Keeping the lid on your pan traps heat and steam, warming your food faster so you don’t need to use the hob for as long. At the same time, if your pan is too small for the hob, heat can escape from the sides. To prevent this, use a pan which fits your hob to conserve energy.
5. Run the Dishwasher Only When Full
Whether your dishwasher is half full or completely full, it will use around the same amount of water and energy. Only using your dishwasher when it’s completely full means you use less water and electricity over time. Fewer cycles will also be needed throughout the week, saving on both your energy and water bills.
6. Avoid Opening the Oven Door Too Often
While it’s tempting to check on your food multiple times when you’re hungry, doing so can change the temperature inside the oven. This can extend the cooking time and also create uneven results, especially for foods like cakes and breads.
7. Defrost Your Freezer Once or Twice a Year
Ice buildup makes your freezer work harder, which increases electricity use and can lead to breakage. You don’t need to remove ice often, but once or twice a year can make a difference. Just like freezers that build up ice, dirty ovens and air fryers have to work harder to function properly. Keeping your appliances clean can save energy, prevent breakage, and improve food hygiene.
8. Turn Appliances off at the Plug
When appliances aren’t in use, they can still draw electricity. Turning off the wall plugs for toasters, air fryers, and kettles when not in use can help you save energy.
Learn More Money Saving Tips With The Student Energy Group
At the student energy group, we’re committed to helping you save money on your bills. That’s why we offer a bills package for students, combining essentials like green electricity, gas, water, broadband and TV licence into one monthly statement that you can split evenly between you and your housemates. This means you can focus more on your studies without stressing about your bills. It takes less than two minutes to get a free, no-obligation quote from us today. We’ll even plant a tree for signing up with us!
